A study by Amadeus involving over 750 agencies reveals that 75% use AI for sales and that 94% demand rate parity. 63% would avoid booking a hotel with inconsistent prices.
The 75% of travel agents already use artificial intelligence tools in their daily operations to search for options, compare content, and make recommendations, according to the latest biennial study by Amadeus conducted among over 750 agencies worldwide, as reported by Expreso. The report also confirms that rate parity has become a non-negotiable requirement for 94% of respondents.
The use of global distribution systems (GDS) has grown significantly in the last two years: 43% of agencies use them more than in 2024, and on average, they access them more than six times a day, remaining connected for almost eight hours. By region, Asia-Pacific leads adoption with 47%, followed by Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) with 44%, and the Americas with 42%.
Price consistency is key: two out of three agencies (63%) state that they would actively avoid booking an establishment if they detected pricing inconsistencies. Additionally, 90% rely on hotel description fields (HoD) provided by the accommodation itself to compare and recommend options.
Sustainability has shifted from being a desirable aspect to becoming a common decision-making criterion. 88% of agencies indicate that it is important for their clients when choosing a provider, and the absence of environmental credentials in descriptions can negatively influence bookings, especially in EMEA and APAC.
The level of comfort with AI varies by region. Asia-Pacific leads in advanced use cases, with itinerary suggestions (36%), CRM recommendations (32%), and fraud detection or quality control tools (21%). In EMEA, conversational AI (ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) is the most used, with 62% of agents employing it, solidifying it as the most common use case globally. Automated fare search tools and AI-based itinerary suggestion platforms are also gaining ground, used by 29% of agents worldwide.
In the Americas, however, 35% of agents do not use AI for sales, although the report suggests that this trend may change as tools become more integrated into daily workflows. Across all regions, agents agree that price and upsell suggestions, hotel recommendations, destination inspiration, and content comparison are areas where AI can enhance their productivity.
"AI-based advertising helps agents influence travellers' choices"
As most agents adopt AI, the study anticipates an increase in the benefits of AI-based advertising within the GDS, both for brands and for agents and travellers. Amadeus is the only provider that places ads in the three main global distribution systems, and approximately two out of three agents respond positively to this type of advertising, according to the report.
You may also like
